Double Pixel Set Up

[Little_b]

Quick question, is it possible to set up a prop in S5 where it uses 2 pixels, but they are grouped as if it was one?  As in, they do the same thing not matter what.  I know on the Sandevices controller set up screen there is a spot that says group where you can do that, but I am using an ESPixel Stick and don't see that option.  So I've been trying to set it up in the prop, but so far the only thing I could do was create the "Bulb" prop with 2 pixels then set them up as a Group, but I have found that with some effects, each bulb can be different.

My Project:

I'm updating  some of my landscaping lights that I built a few years back.  I used 2 sections of Dumb Strips per light fixture, but now I want to make them with smart pixels, so I need them to be paired and not individual.  I know I can cut them and wire both in parallel, but they fit perfect to not have to cut them (use 2 separate sections) and rewire them.

[k6ccc]

I want to make sure I understand exactly your requirement.  Based on your description, grouping is not what you need.  Let's see if I have this right.  You will have two strings that want to behave exactly the same.  In other words whatever string 1 pixel 1 does, you also want string 2 pixel 1, etc.  Is that correct?  And this will be from a single ESPixel Stick?

 

 

[Little_b]

Not quite. Im taking 1 strand of a smart pixel strip and cutting it into sections of 2 pixels each and placing them in the fixture. So i need each pair of pixels to act as one.

[PhilMassey]

You should be able to create a group in Preview or a Grid View group in Sequencer of the pixel pairs or any number of pixels for that matter and sequence them as if they were one pixel.

Worst case, sequence one of the two pixels and copy the whole row to the other.

You talked about parallel wiring. You cannot wire pixels in parallel. They have a defined input and output and must be wired in series. If you look closely at a pixel chip you will see it marked with an input and an output. Each pixel passes on the data to the next in line.

[k6ccc]

1 hour ago, PhilMassey said:

You talked about parallel wiring. You cannot wire pixels in parallel. They have a defined input and output and must be wired in series. If you look closely at a pixel chip you will see it marked with an input and an output. Each pixel passes on the data to the next in line.

Actually you sort of can - and what he was describing would work.  Take the output from the controller and split it to two "first pixels".  Then each of the two strings will light identically.

2 hours ago, Little_b said:

Not quite. Im taking 1 strand of a smart pixel strip and cutting it into sections of 2 pixels each and placing them in the fixture. So i need each pair of pixels to act as one.

Got it.  I did the same thing with part of my landscape lighting - except in my cases it was 11 pixels.  Used the grouping in the SanDevices E6804.  I think Phil's suggestion will work.

I won a ESPixel Stick at a mini last year, but have not done anything with it.  Have an idea what to use it for, but low on the priority list...

 

[PhilMassey]

2 hours ago, k6ccc said:

Actually you sort of can - and what he was describing would work.  Take the output from the controller and split it to two "first pixels".  Then each of the two strings will light identically.

Hmm, who knew?

[k6ccc]

I did a test several years ago with a SanDevices E682 and had it outputting to four strings from one port.  It worked.  OK, I started with one, and kept increasing until I ran out of extra strips laying around.